Journal

Creating Calm in the Bedroom with Feng Shui

10.04.20Secret Garden Wendy Morrison Design rug in bedroom

Let’s talk bedrooms. The space that allows us to revive and relax. It’s also the place where we spend so much time, even if you just count sleeping. Dreams have some interesting facts on this: we spend as much as 26 years of our life sleeping and 7 years trying to get to sleep. That’s at least 33 years spent in bed, which makes getting your bedroom feeling calm a priority.

Time to turn our attention to feng shui (pronounced fung shway). The Chinese art of feng shui comes from the idea that your living space reflects and affects your life. For a harmonious home, many feng shui ideas feel naturally right. Maximising light? Yes, please. Plants in the home to purify the air? Big tick. Decluttering the home? We know we should already.

Life for many at the moment is not at full-throttle sprint. So, now is the perfect time to try feng shui. Already a fan? You’re in good company; Gwyneth Paltrow and Marie Kondo are among its enthusiasts. It’s a practice that’s in tune with mindfulness, all about slowing down and noticing the details. While feng shui isn’t a quick fix to all life’s problems, it’s principles can guide your home décor choices, helping you find greater zen.

In feng shui philosophy, your bedroom symbolises you and can affect you the most. Here are some ways to bring feng shui into your bedroom to find more moments of calm:

The command position

Sounds like a yoga pose, but is actually the way you should locate your bed in feng shui. Having your bed in the command position means you can see the entrance to your bedroom and look toward the door, without it being directly opposite. If that’s not possible, use a mirror to see the door in it’s the reflection from your bed.

Why does the command position help? The main door to your room is called the ‘mouth of chi’ – thought to be the portal through which energy comes into your life. If you have your bed directly in front of your bedroom door, this means that the energy is flowing outward instead of in.

To prevent the escape of positive energy, close your door at night while you sleep and don’t have your bed directly underneath a window. Your body refreshes itself during sleep and having a window above would allow positive energy to escape, leaving you tired and unproductive.

Bedroom rugs to slow things down

Your bedroom should be a serene space and bedroom rugs provide comfort. There’s nothing like stepping out of bed in the morning onto a designer rug boasting style and warmth. They’re artworks for your floor and a way of bringing personality in your space without hanging artwork directly above your bed. Hanging paintings above your bed is not considered good feng shui because it can affect the quality of your sleep.

Wendy has created a selection of rug designs that work well in the bedroom, fitting underneath the bed without hiding the beautiful design – which is mainly focused around the edges of the rug. Secret Garden was specially designed as a bedroom rug and comes in a restful lotus pink colour. Or feast your eyes on Leopard Florals – pink and red florals with as stylish leopard print border.

Secret Garden bedroom rug

Feng shui suggests having inspirational and aspirational artwork in your life, without any negative connotations. Invite the oasis of nature into your room through rugs adorned with butterflies, birds and flowers symbolic to Chinese culture.

Rugs are also often cited in feng shui as a good way to slow down the energy flow through the home. A designer runner in your hallway leading to your bedroom is the perfect solution.

Feel supported, not restricted

As you lie down you should feel unrestricted and have free-flowing energy under your bed. Ideally, choose a bed that doesn’t have under-bed-storage. This will maximise the airflow all around you while you sleep. Likewise, don’t position your bed against a corner wall, as this restricts energy flow and prevents access to both sides of the bed.

Have a headboard – it’s not just great for reading, it’s also valuable in feng shui to feel maximum support. Choose one made from solid wood or upholstered from natural fibres, not slotted bars.

Looking to meet your relationship goals?

It’s good practice in feng shui to leave space on both sides of the bed and have bedside tables either side. This is good for being open to relationships and promoting communication, meaning you’ve made space for your partner or future partner.

Let light and fresh air in

Air and light are essential elements for positive energy flow in feng shui. Refreshing the air in your home, lets your rooms breathe. Leaving windows closed can lead to stale air that is detrimental to the energy flow. Every day, drawback your curtains, open your windows and let fresh air and light in. Natural light can make you feel happier and more positive.

Allow as much natural light as possible and make sure every corner is well-lit – if not through natural light, through the careful placement of table lamps. Beautiful, decorative table lamps can create soft, tranquil lighting.

Plants are also natural air purifiers and add the wood element of feng shui into your bedroom, helping to retain the energy and balance of a room. Indoor plants like the Peace Lily are always on our wish list…and you don’t need to be green-fingered as they require little upkeep.

Peace Lily

Mirror it

Hanging a mirror is an easy trick to expand the feeling of space and light. If you have a beautiful view you’d like to reflect into your bedroom, even better. Just remember, you won’t want to reflect anything negative into view, like a stack of bills.

Keep what you love, ban the clutter

A tidy home, a tidy mind. We think so. Purge all the things that no longer serve a purpose or make you happy. Letting go of things you don’t need, will also give your brain a cue to let go of other harmful things, like anxiety. Excessive clutter can weigh us down emotionally and stop clarity of thought.

Try to tackle the ‘might need it someday’ thoughts that may creep in. Instead, consider decluttering as separating out the things you treasure from the rest. One tip is to place the contents of a room into a suitcase and set yourself a time frame. If you end up using the items from the suitcase during that time frame, return them to the cupboard. If you don’t use them and don’t care for them either, it sounds like time to let go.

Also, be mindful about each piece of bedroom furniture you choose. Furniture should be used, serve a purpose and not block the natural way you would walk through your room. Non-essential items, like a forgotten treadmill, won’t bring harmony.

Colours and the five elements

Consider the five elements of feng shui, which are water, fire, earth, metal and wood, to promote positivity in your bedroom. Each element relates to a colour and orientation. First, use a compass to find out the direction your bedroom faces and plan your colour scheme in relation to the energy you wish to bring into the room. Feng shui colour charts are widely available online to help steer your choices.

Wendy has a stunning green colour in her bedroom – associated with growth, new beginnings and healing:

Birdsong Jade rug in the bedroom

Lift the cobwebs and make your bed

Simply taking the time to make your bed every morning and thanking it for supporting you every night, will help give you order and peace.

Dust and dirt have no place if you’re going to follow feng shui as they diminish the flow of energy. Any broken items? Fix or get rid. A clean home in good repair attracts positive energy, otherwise known as chi.

Take away the tech

Make your bedroom your sanctuary. Keep work equipment, computers, TVs or the like elsewhere. This means there are fewer distractions and less noise for maximum tranquillity and restful sleep. No one needs the whirr of technology when you’re trying to rest your head down at the end of the day.

Seeking inspiration?

We’re sharing this tranquil bedroom mood board with you, giving you some inspiration of how to create your very own sanctuary including the Secret Garden bedroom rug. Soft colours abound and calm awaits:

Secret Garden rug mood board by Wendy Morrison

The vintage circular mirror is from Chairish and for unique bed frames or headboards, take a look at Anthropologie. Head over to our Pinterest page for lots more rug styling ideas and pins of the things we love.

Final thought…

Feng shui is less about having a perfectly styled home, and more about creating a healthy, happy environment. But we like to think we can do both!

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